Editing Mononuclear phagocyte system (section)

{{Short description|Part of the immune system}}
{{distinguish|reticulocyte|reticular cell|reticuloendothelial system}}

In [[immunology]], the '''mononuclear phagocyte system''' or '''mononuclear phagocytic system''' ('''MPS'''), also known as the '''macrophage system''', is a part of the [[immune system]] that consists of the [[Phagocyte|phagocytic cells]]<ref>{{MeshName|Mononuclear+Phagocyte+System}}</ref> located in [[reticular connective tissue]]. The cells are primarily [[monocyte]]s and [[macrophage]]s, and they accumulate in [[lymph node]]s and the [[spleen]]. The [[Kupffer cell]]s of the [[liver]] and tissue [[histiocyte]]s are also part of the MPS. The mononuclear phagocyte system and the monocyte macrophage system refer to two different entities, often mistakenly understood as one.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=April 2020}}

"[[Reticuloendothelial system]]" is an older term for the mononuclear phagocyte system, but it is used less commonly now, as it is understood that most [[endothelial]] cells are not [[macrophage]]s.<ref name="Singh2006">{{cite book|author=Inderbir Singh|title=Textbook of human histology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ej22iANgNkoC&pg=PA90|access-date=12 November 2010|year=2006|publisher=Jaypee Brothers Publishers|isbn=978-81-8061-809-3|pages=90–}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The mononuclear phagocyte system is also a somewhat dated concept trying to combine a broad range of cells, and should be used with caution.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hume|first=David A|date=2006-02-01|title=The mononuclear phagocyte system|journal=Current Opinion in Immunology|series=Innate immunity / Antigen processing and recognition|volume=18|issue=1|pages=49–53|doi=10.1016/j.coi.2005.11.008|pmid=16338128}}</ref>